Renault has produced a “very special” Clio RS

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Renault has announced a new, more intense version of the Clio RS hot hatch. It will be revealed at the Monaco Grand Prix on Friday and, um, that’s all we can really say.

That’s because Renault has been decidedly coy on any firm detail, seemingly saving it all for the car’s big reveal on the Monacan streets. Renault has past form of revealing wild concepts – TwinRun and A110-50 included – on the Friday before the Monaco GP. It appears this special Clio is no different.

The car itself is described as a “very special Clio RS”, and it looks a heck of a lot wilder than the standard Clio RS, albeit still a five-door. It’s designed to mark both Renaultsport’s 40th birthday and Renault’s return to Formula 1, and wears a similar yellow and black colour scheme to the team’s F1 cars.

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“We have successfully completed this slightly crazy project to produce a car,” says Patrice Ratti, boss of Renault Sport Cars. “It has been a joint effort by the Renault Sport Cars and Renault Sport Racing teams. This Clio RS intensifies the expertise of Renault Sport engineers whilst exploring new avenues for the future.”

What lies beneath we cannot say. But more power than the Clio’s current 217bhp peak is surely a safe bet, while more hardcore suspension settings and a gearbox more involved than the current six-speed paddleshifter would surely befit that pumped-up body and explicit motorsport links.

More on Friday when it’s revealed. Until then, what would you like to lie beneath the skin of this Clio?

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